


Lovebirds

by PracticallyIJ



Category: Impractical Jokers
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-01
Updated: 2015-11-30
Packaged: 2018-05-04 07:03:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5324951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PracticallyIJ/pseuds/PracticallyIJ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sal gets upset after a punishment. Fluffy hugging ensues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Q

**Author's Note:**

> This was the first IJ fic I wrote, and my first fic in a very, very long time. So please be kind :)  
> Pretty much pure fluff.  
> Also I'd like to add that I don't know the guys, and what I write is merely a representation of them.

"Plug it in! It's a punishment, you don't get to say no!" Q mimed across the busy room at Sal. He got a face back which contained a mixture of horror, humiliation and, judging by the set of his jaw, some genuine rage there too. To his credit, he did plug the speakers back into his laptop, and immediately buried his face in his hands as the _totally_ unmistakeable sounds of porn - moaning, bedsprings creaking - blasted out of them. Q shot a look at the nun in the corner. She looked horrified and affronted. He nudged Joe and Murr, who took one look at her and dissolved into fits of helpless laughter again.

Eventually it was over, and Sal got out of there in two seconds flat. Murr and Joe finished their drinks and oversaw the retrieval of waivers, but Q followed Sal out of the cafe. He knew his friend would get over it, but he never took punishments well at first, and this one seemed to have been especially rough on the guy.

He caught up with him in the alley next to the cafe. Sal was facing away from him, and Q put a hand on his back to let him know he was there.

"Hey, Sal. You okay, man?"

Sal stayed where he was, but spoke after a few seconds.

"I will _never_ forgive you guys for this one. I am so fucking embarrassed!"

His voice sounded muffled. Q laughed gently, and came to stand next to him.

"You always say that. You'll forgive us in a couple days," he took a sideways glance at Sal, who was wiping at his face, "Sal... are you _crying_? God, I knew this one would be rough on you - but I didn't realise it would upset you like this. Fuck, I'm sorry-"

Sal turned to face Q.

"No, don't say sorry. You're right, it was a punishment, so it was gonna suck pretty bad. I'll get over it."

He smiled, tears still evident on his face, and Q was suddenly struck by how endearing this guy was. The worst part was he didn't even know it! Impulsively, he pulled Sal into a hug, his arms under Sal's and hands grasping the back of his shoulders. Sal froze in surprise, then after a moment, his arms settled around Q, fingers splaying around his back and chin leaning on his shoulder. Q noted with vague surprise that although they'd hugged countless times before, it felt somehow more intimate than any hug they'd shared over the years. And Sal seemed perfectly content to stay where they were, too. He didn't want to question the implications, focusing on Sal instead. He could feel his strong heartbeat, and felt his breaths tickle his neck. He smelt familiar and homely, like two decades of memories. He inhaled, remembering laughter and comfort in his darkest times. He hoped that Sal couldn't feel his heartbeat speeding up.

Eventually they separated, and Q placed his hands on Sal's shoulders.

"You gonna be okay now, buddy?"

Sal grinned, and the dimple in his left cheek made an appearance. Q noticed there was something different, something soft and tender about his eyes, which were gazing into his own.

"I'm okay now. Thanks, man."

He seemed reluctant to move, as if something was holding him there, and Q admitted to himself that he felt the same. Suddenly there was an odd, fragile tension in the air. Sal's smile slowly faded to reveal a more serious expression, but the softness in his eyes that Q noticed before became more noticeable. He seemed about to say something. Q felt warm all over, and his stomach hurt. He opened his mouth to speak, but his social awkwardness kicked in - with his best friend of all people! He closed it again. Sal suddenly seemed closer, just inches away from Q's face, and his eyes flicked quickly to Q's mouth. Q stopped thinking and closed his eyes-

"QUINN! SAL! HEY! WE'VE BEEN LOOKIN' ALL OVER FOR- hey, what were you guys doing?"

Q and Sal stepped backward simultaneously as Joe and Murr rounded the corner into the alley, Joe bellowing at the top of his lungs. Q risked a glance at Sal, who looked at him with an odd expression, blushing to the tips of his ears, and Q knew he himself looked like a fucking deer trapped in the headlights.

"Uhh. Nothin'," he managed lamely, " Sal got a bit upset after the punishment so I came to cheer him up. Right, bud?" He looked again at Sal for backup.

"...Yeah. I'm feeling much better now, guys."

Sal was a terrible liar, and he was still bright red. Murr was looking from Q to Sal, eyes wide and amused, and Joe had the biggest shit-eating grin on his face he could muster. Q waited them out stubbornly. Eventually Joe broke the silence.

"...Uh huh. Well, you need to come check on a load of release forms from the cafe, so, you know, in your own time..." Q thought they'd gotten away without any embarrassing comments - until Joe finished his sentence,"...lovebirds."


	2. Sal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Same story, from Sal's point of view. Because I am trash and I am a slut for writing different POVs.

"I'm not crazy!" Sal half shouted after the guy who had just unplugged his speakers and attempted to psychoanalyse him. He looked helplessly over at the three assholes in the corner. Joe and Murr were dying with laughter, but Q mimed at him, looking half annoyed, half amused.

"Plug it in! It's a punishment, you don't get to say no!"

Sal wanted to throw up, but he plugged the speakers back into his laptop anyway, painfully aware of the nun's eyes on him from the other side of the room. Half a second later, more moaning and creaking noises issued from his laptop at full volume, and he felt mortified. He could feel tears pricking at his eyes, and felt pissed off at himself. Fuck that he cried as easily as he laughed!

When the horse noise... happened, Sal sank down as far into his chair as he could go, his face in his hands. Tears were streaming down his face. He'd been through a whole bunch of punishments, but he'd never felt so humiliated before.

Thank God, the horse marked the end of this particular torture, and Sal bolted and ran. He made for the side alley next to the cafe and tried to compose himself. He knew the others would be getting release forms and placating that damn nun, so he had time not to look like so much of a fucking baby.

Suddenly he felt a gentle hand on his back, and he startled a little, then relaxed as he recognised the familiar, comforting voice.

"Hey, Sal. You okay, man?"

Sal had to stifle the waterworks again at Q's soft, apologetic tone. He stayed where he was, his back to his best friend, and tried to keep his voice level.

"I will _never_ forgive you guys for this one. I am so fucking embarrassed!" He cursed himself out mentally at how obvious it was that he'd been crying. Q huffed out a soft laugh, and Sal felt him move to stand next to him. He hurriedly started trying to wipe his eyes as surreptitiously as possible as Q replied.

"You always say that. You'll forgive us in a couple days... Sal, are you _crying_?" Sal's stomach dropped. "God, I knew this one would be rough on you, but I didn't realise it would upset you this much. Fuck, I'm sorry-"

Sal felt stupid for being a pussy and guilty for making Q feel bad. He turned to face him.

"No, don't say sorry. You're right, it was a punishment, so it was gonna suck pretty bad. I'll get over it."

He offered Q a weak smile, conscious of the tears still on his cheeks and even more conscious of Q's eyes on him, deep brown, soft, and concerned. He had a serious, pensive look on his face, and Sal suppressed a weird impulse to reach out and stroke his cheek. Suddenly, without warning, Sal was pulled into Q's arms, into a strong intimate hug - Q had pulled him flush against him, legs to legs and chest to chest. He stiffened for a second in surprise, then closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around Q, resting his chin on his shoulder and turned his face towards Q's neck. He was hyperaware of everything about Q in that moment - from his rapidly speeding heartbeat, to his hair tickling Sal's ear, to the familiar scent that was a mixture of different things, but together could only be described as his best friend, Brian Quinn. Beyond all of that, he dimly realised that he didn't really feel like moving any time soon. But after about a minute, Q pulled back to look at him at arm's length, strong hands on Sal's shoulders, and Sal felt a pang of disappointment, but chose to focus on Q's eyes instead. Shit, the guy had beautiful eyes. _Shit_ , Sal was in trouble.

"You gonna be okay now, buddy?"

Sal smiled, the first genuine one since learning what his punishment was, and Q's face lit up. "I'm okay now. Thanks, man."

Neither of them moved. Neither of them broke eye contact. Sal felt like this should be _really fucking uncomfortable_ , but instead he felt an odd electric sensation around them, setting his heart racing and his spine tingling. He stopped smiling, and Q's expression became a little pained. Sal almost asked what was up, but didn't want to break whatever weird shit was happening - it felt too important and too long a time coming. Q opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Sal almost laughed - this was typical of his best friend. Then, before Q could speak, Sal slowly leaned closer. Q closed his mouth, and Sal's eyes flicked to his lips. He really fucking wanted to kiss this guy. Q closed his eyes, and Sal's mind went into overdrive even as their lips were centimetres away.

_'Oh my god, what am I doing, this could hurt us real bad, why now after twenty years, God he smells good, I fucking love him, holy shit did I just think that?...'_

Suddenly there was a shout. Sal jerked out of his ridiculous fretting, and Q stepped back, looking anywhere but at Sal.

"QUINN! SAL! WE'VE BEEN LOOKIN' ALL OVER FOR- hey, what were you guys doing?"

Sal felt himself blush furiously, and yet again cursed himself for being so easy with his emotions. He looked at Q, who looked wide-eyed and a little annoyed. Q gave a brief glance back, and spoke up quickly.

"Uhh. Nothin'," He mumbled. Sal wanted to facepalm - did Q realise how weak that sounded? "Sal got a bit upset after the punishment so I came to cheer him up. Right, bud?" He looked at Sal, appealing for help with his eyes.

"...Yeah. I'm feeling much better now, guys." Sal wasn't sure who to punch: himself for sucking so bad at lying or these two douchebags for interrupting them. It was obvious they didn't buy it - Murr had that stupid look on his face that annoyed Sal so much, eyes wide and eyebrow raised, and Joe's grin could have split his face in two. He looked to Q to say something to break the awkward silence, but he was waiting them out, the stubborn bastard. Finally Joe spoke, a delighted grin still on his face.

"...Uh-huh. Well, you need to come check on a load of release forms from the cafe, so, you know, in your own time..." Here Joe paused, and Sal waited for the wiseass fucking comment. Sure enough, a second later:

"...lovebirds."

 


End file.
